acrwc little otter brochure

8/7/2019 ACRWC Little Otter Brochure

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Water Quality in your Neighborhoodand how you can make a difference

Addison County River Watch Collaborative

Little Otter Creek Summary

M U D C R E E K M I D D L E B U RY R I V E R O T

L E M O N FA I R R I V E R L E W I S C R E E K L



Addison

CountyRiver Watch

Collaborative

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Lewis Creek

Little Otter Creek

Otter Creek

Middlebury River

Lemon Fair

River

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Water Quality

Sampling Sitesin 2007

Streams andLake listed asimpaired or inneed of further assessment

Water QualityMonitoring Sitesby Watershed

New Haven River



1

OTTER CREEK originates

south of Addison County in

Mount Tabor, Peru and Dorsetand drains into Lake Champlain

in Ferrisburgh. At 91 miles, it is

the longest stream in the State.

The majority of Addison County’s

rivers and streams drain into

Otter Creek before entering

Lake Champlain. Water quality

monitoring has been conducted

on Otter Creek since 1992.

LEMON FAIR RIVER is 27

miles long, beginning at Johnson

Pond in the town of Orwell. The

Lemon Fair fl ows into Shoreham

and includes 129-acre Richville

Pond, created by the Richville

Dam. From Shoreham it fl ows

through Bridport, Cornwall, andWeybridge, where it enters the

Otter Creek. Water quality moni-

toring has been conducted on

the Lemon Fair River since 2003.

MIDDLEBURY RIVER origi-

nates in Hancock and Ripton and

drains 63 square miles as it fl ows

16 miles to its confl uence with Ot-

ter Creek in Middlebury. From its

headwaters it fl ows west through

downtown Ripton, into EastMiddlebury, takes a sharp detour

into Salisbury, and fl ows into Otter

Creek in southwestern corner of

Middlebury. Water quality moni-

toring has been conducted on the

Middlebury River since 1993.

NEW HAVEN RIVER is 58

miles long and fl ows through thetowns of Lincoln, Bristol, and

New Haven before entering Otter

Creek. The New Haven water-

shed is approximately 113 square

miles. Water quality monitoring

has been conducted on the New

Haven River since 1993.

LITTLE OTTER CREEK drains73 square miles and the creek

is approximately 25 miles in

length. Little Otter Creek begins

in Bristol and fl ows through New

Haven, Monkton, Panton, and

Ferrisburgh before entering Lake

Champlain. Water quality moni-

toring has been conducted on

Little Otter Creek since 1997.

MUD CREEK is a tributary

of the Little Otter Creek. Mud

Creek’s watershed is 9 squaremiles and the creek is ap-

proximately 12 miles long. Mud

Creek begins in Waltham and

fl ows through New Haven until

it reaches the Little Otter Creek

in Ferrisburgh. Water quality

monitoring has been conducted

on Mud Creek since 1997.

LEWIS CREEK - the main stem

is about 33 miles long and fl ows

through Starksboro, Monkton

and Ferrisburgh before entering

Lake Champlain. The 81 square

mile watershed also drains a por-

tion of Bristol, including Bristol

Pond, and a small section of thetown of Huntington. It also fl ows

through the Chittenden County

towns of Hinesburg and Char-

lotte. Water quality monitoring

has been conducted on Lewis

Creek since 1992.

The Addison County River Watch Collaborative (ACRWC) is acitizen organization that samples and monitors surface water quality to inform water quality and stream corridor improvementmeasures in the Addison County region. Today, the collaborativeincludes several distinct watersheds described below.

What is the Addison County River Watch Collaborative?



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How is water quality measured?

Phosphorus Nitrogen

Phosphorus is an essential plant

nutrient, and is generally consid-

ered to be the major nutrient limit-

ing or stimulating the growth of

algae and aquatic plants in Lake

Champlain. By reducing the load

of phosphorus discharged into

Lake Champlain from its tributar-ies, the deterioration of the lake

water quality can be halted.

Nitrogen, like phosphorus, is an

essential plant nutrient, and can

limit or stimulate algal and plant

growth in lakes. Thus, to protect

Lake Champlain, it is important to

limit nitrogen loadings to the lake.

There are four important parameters that defi ne water quality in streams fl owing

into Lake Champlain and its major tributaries

Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli is a generally harmless bac-

terium found normally in the intestinal tractsof warm-blooded animals, but not generally

in the natural environment. Its presence in

the environment is therefore considered an

indication of possible fecal contamination,

and of the possible presence of other bacte-

ria capable of causing an intestinal disease.



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Vermont Water Quality StandardsParameter Unit Standard

Escherichia coli MPN 77/100 ml.

Nitrate mg/l as N 5

Turbidity* NTU 10*Standard for cold water fi sh

- The Federal Clean Water Act

requires states to establish water quality standards.

Vermont established standards in 1999.

• Standards provide measures against which to

assess water quality• Standards are based on requirements for water use,

for both human and aquatic life

• Standards provide a basis for identifying waters

impaired or threatened and in need of improvement

• Standards provide a basis for developing and imple-

menting plans for achieving water quality objectives

State standards also stipulate that total phosphorusloadings in streams shall be limited so that they will

not contribute to the acceleration of eutrophication or

the stimulation of the growth of aquatic biota in a man-

ner that prevents the full support of uses.

The Standard for total phosphorus in Lake Champlain

is 0.014 mg/l (14 µg/l) in the open lake.

Setting Standards

Suspended sediment

Suspended sediment, measured as solids or

turbidity, is important in streams and lakesbecause:

• It limits visibility in water which can be haz-

ardous to swimmers and boaters

• It limits light penetration in surface waters

which limits photosynthesis

• It settles to the bottom of streams and other

water bodies damaging habitat for aquatic

animals and breeding areas for fi sh• Because phosphorus reacts with soil and

sediment, it builds up in soils, especially

where fertilizers have been applied. Runoff

from the land and high stream fl ows causing

bank erosion mobilize sediments and carry

them and their associated phosphorus down-

stream, and eventually into Lake Champlain.



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M O N K T O NM O N K T O N

F E R R I S B U R G HF E R R I S B U R G H

N E W H A V E NN E W H A V E N

B R I S T OB R I S T OP A N T O NP A N T O N

A D D I S O NA D D I S O N

W A L T H A MW A L T H A M

V E R G E N N E SV E R G E N N E S

W E Y B R I D G EW E Y B R I D G E

S T A R K S B O RS T A R K S B O R

7

22A

17

116

22A

LOC11

LOC4.3 LOC7.8

MDC1.2

LOC14.4

M O N K T O NM O N K T O N

F E R R I S B U R G HF E R R I S B U R G H

N E W H A V E NN E W H A V E N

B R I S T OB R I S T OP A N T O NP A N T O N

A D D I S O NA D D I S O N

W A L T H A MW A L T H A M

V E R G E N N E SV E R G E N N E S

W E Y B R I D G EW E Y B R I D G E

S T A R K S B O RS T A R K S B O R

7

22A

17

116

22A

LOC11

LOC4.3 LOC7.8

MDC1.2

LOC14.4

Little Otter

Creek and

Mud Creek

Water Quality

Sample Sites

✱ CurrentSamplingStations

Watershed

Boundary

LOC4.3 LOC7.8

LOC14.4

LOC11

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MDC1.2

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Little Otter Creek –



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What is the quality of its water?Little Otter Creek is listed by the State of Vermont as impaired for aesthetic reasons, aquatic lifesupport, and contact recreation as a result of agricultural runoff and high E. coli counts from itsmouth to river mile 9. It is also listed as impaired for aquatic life support from mile 15.4 to mile16.4as a result of agricultural runoff.

E. coli counts in Little Otter Creek consistently exceed the Vermont State Standard, increasingdownstream to Middlebrook Road (LOC7.8), and then decreasing slightly to Route 7 in Ferrisburgh(LOC4.3). This pattern parallels both turbidity and phosphorus concentrations, and may refl ect a

need for improved farm management practices. Suspended sediment measured as turbidity typically increases downstream in Little Otter Creekto Middlebrook Road (LOC7.8) as a result of erosion and agricultural runoff, exceeding the StateStandard at LOC7.8 and Lime Kiln Road (LOC11). The impacts of erosion and runoff are greatestwhen fl ows are high.

Phosphorus concentrations are high in Little Otter Creek/Mud Creek, refl ecting erosion andagricultural runoff. Phosphorus transported by suspended sediments from erosion and runoff, anddissolved phosphorus from farms in need of improved management, increase downstream during

periods of high fl ow. Nitrogen levels in LittleOtter Creek fall below theVermont Standard for nitrate.Concentrations are highestat LOC14.4, and decreasesteadily to low levels asa result of dilution before

entering Lake Champlain. LOC4.3 LOC7.8 LOC11 LOC14.4

Vermont State Standard = 77/100ml

Escherichia coli Counts

2008

Median Total Phosphorus Concentrations

2008

LOC4.3 LOC7.8 LOC11 LOC14.4

Lake Champlain Standard = 14µg/l

Vermont State Standard = 5.0mgl as N ➡

Median Total Nitrogen Concentrations

1.0

2.0

3.02008


Phosphorus Concentrations

2008

Lake Champlain Standard = 14µg/lLOC4.3 LOC7.8 LOC11 LOC14.4

Median Turbidity Values

4

8

12

16

2008


Vermont State Standard = 10NTU

>20NTU

MDC1.2 =28.6NTU



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What can we do together to improve and protectthe water quality in our rivers?

Our towns and watershed organizations can develop watershed

plans and involve landowners in protecting our rivers and

Lake Champlain

Our community can inform its citizens about water quality issues

and promote protective policies at the town and state levels

We can promote natural buffers along water bodies and wetlands

We can support bank stabilization and tree planting projects

identifi ed in watershed plans

We can help with fund raising for conservation and

restoration projects

We can volunteer in water quality monitoring programs

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Contacts…

Sheila Schwanefl ugel ACRWC Coordinator 802-877-0054 schwanefl [email protected]

Heidi Willis Otter Creek and Middlebury

River Coordinator 802-352-4327 [email protected]

Pete Diminico New Haven River Coordinator 802-453-3899 [email protected]

Louis DuPont Lewis Creek Coordinator 802-453-5538 [email protected]

Marty Illick Lewis Creek Association 802-425-2002 [email protected]

Craig Miner Little Otter Creek and

Mud Creek Coordinator 802-877-2469 [email protected]

Kathy Morse Lemon Fair River Coordinator 802-545-2859 [email protected]

Kevin Behm ACRPC Assistant Director 802-388-3141 [email protected]

Ethan Swift VTDEC Watershed Coordinator 802-786-2503 [email protected]

For summaries and more detailed information about ACRWC’s other watersheds, or to fi nd out

how you can become involved, please contact us.

ACRWC works with the following individuals and groups–

■Residents and Landowners

■Watershed Towns

■Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation

■Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

■US Department of Agriculture - NRCS, Farm Service Agency

This report is funded by Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation 2008



How you can help …

≈ Learn more about water quality in your watershed

≈ Participate in meetings of your selectboard,

planning commission and conservation commission

≈ Join your local watershed organization

≈ Participate in water quality sampling

≈ Participate in tree planting

≈ Donate to your local watershed organization

Addison County River Watch

Collaborative’s information

complements the state’s data

by identifying sources of nutri-ent loading entering the lake.[ ]

Bill Hoadley



L E M O N FA I R R I V E R L I T T L E O T T E R C

R E E K N E W H A V E N R I V E R L E M O N FAStill have questions?

Information about each watershed with full water quality reportswww.acrpc.org • www.lewiscreek.org

Information about Lake Champlain and water quality in Vermont rivers www.vtwaterquality.org

Information about water issues and the nation’s water resources

www.epa.gov/ebtpages/water.html

Photo © The Nature Conservancy

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